Roberto Cavalli Opens First Nightclub in Florence, Italy

Designer Roberto Cavalli opened his first nightclub in the beautiful city of Florence in Italy this past week. Cavalli chose a 15th century deconsecrated church as the location of the club which was in a desperate need for a restoration. The church, and now his nightclub, is near the 13th-century Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine, and it is adorned with Renaissance masterpieces by artists such as Masaccio and Masolino. “I feel I helped recover a real jewel,” says Cavalli of the recovered church which is now turned into a luxurious nightclub. Cavalli along side with architect Italo Rota took full advantage of the high ceilings of the original building and also added additional level. A lounge bar is located on the ground floor; a stage with a piano is placed in a niche where the altar used to be, and a 50-seat restaurant is on the upper floor. The decor is greatly nature inspired including steel leaves decorating the columns, a huge twisting steel snake on the side of the bar, an aquarium, an oversize shell on one wall, and seats with the designer’s infamous animal prints. Cavalli will open two more nightclubs in the upcoming year, one in Dubai at the end of January 2009, which will have a “a huge stairway” and plenty of glittering Swarovski crystals, and the other in Milan in February 2009. The designer is also working on renovating Milan’s former Just Cavalli Café and turning it into a Club.

Roberto Cavalli House by Italo Rota

Designers create stunning pieces on the runway, but have you ever wondered what their houses must look like? Here is a small preview of Roberto Cavalli’s new house by Italo Rota. The house was especially designed for Cavalli and it is located on the beautiful hills of Florence in Italy. The house’s color can be changed to match the personality of the owner and knowing Cavalli’s love for wild prints and bright palettes, it is only natural that the exterior looks exactly like this. This wildly printed glass house has a modern interior and a breath taking view of the romantic Florence city.

Designer Jussara Lee thinks “Sex and the City” Fashion is “Too Done Up”

Sex and the City may be a huge fashion hit for the public, but it is now a common thing for designers to bash its fashion sense. While many people watch the infamous series religiously for its latest moda and what’s the next best thing to wear, designers do not seem to agree that it is very fashionable. Not so long ago, well known designer Madam Vivienne Westwood said that the movie wasn’t fashionable and even walked out of its premier. Now Brazilian-born designer Jussara Lee who has been in the fashion industry for ten years, a true fashion veteran, is sharing Westwood’s opinion.

“The whole Sex and the City thing was a huge influence on ordinary people. It looks too done up to me. It’s too much hair. Everyone looks like they’ve spent too much time, too much money, and then in the end everyone looks the same. It’s curious that people would go the whole extent to look so the same,” says Jussara.

Sex and The City Movie Sequel?

A couple of days ago Kim Cattrall, aka Samantha Jones, confirmed that there will be a much-wanted sequel to the Sex and The City: The Movie. “Yes, there will be a sequel. We will do the sequel next summer,” Cattrall says. “We wanted to the first time, and now we’re hopefully doing it again for the second time.” The movie took many years to film as as there were many rumoured infighting between the four ladies, Kim Cattrall, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. It seems that these quarrels are not over yet, as just one day later, Sarah Jessica Parker denied the confirmed sequel plans. “I’m thrilled to know Kim is excited but all the deals are not yet done,” says the star that plays Carrie Bradshaw. In September, both Parker and director/writer Michael Patrick King talked about the possible sequel saying even that it is on its way to be written. So, will there be a sequel after all? We hope that soon the diva cast will finally make up their minds.

Versace Opens on Via Veneto in Rome

Italian fashion house Versace seems on its luxurious rise as it just opened a 200-square metre store on Rome’s Via Veneto, making it the fourth Versace store in the fashion city. The luxury brand is debuting a new architectural concept with a beautiful white exterior and it is the first luxury brand to open on the infamous Via Veneto, a street which is famously associated with Italian cinema. The Versace Group says, “Via Veneto is the ideal location for our new boutique, given the many ways the street epitomises Italian glamour – the cinema, the celebrities, a world Versace understands so well. Via Veneto has also become a street synonymous with luxury and our Maison is the first to open a store there. We are confident that the location is a perfect expression of our current development strategy.” Donatella is going luxury all the way as she also launched a $2,100 fragrance “Gianni Versace Couture.”

Coco Chanel by Douglas Kirkland: 40 Unseen Photos

Photographer Douglas Kirkland released a book Coco Chanel: Three Weeks/1962, featuring 40 unseen photos of the fashion icon capturing some of her most intimate moments. The book is available at Amazon and I cannot wait to buy it! To promote his book, Kirkland is showing his Chanel photography collection at the Westwood Gallery in New York City.

In 1962, Douglas spent three weeks with Mademoiselle Chanel following her everywhere and taking photos of her. Douglas remembers that when he approached her, she was very hesitant and asked him to show her some of his work. Coco was so deeply impressed with his photography that she allowed him full access to her. The photos are truly special and intimate as they show our favorite designer in her private rooms, in the Versailles gardens, with her friends, and when she worked with her sketches and fittings.

Yacht Destination: Bermuda

Known as the boating capital of the Atlantic, the northern most coral reef beauty Bermuda is a hot yacht destination. Bermuda’s close destination to the United States and strategic transatlantic location make is a prime destination for yachting lovers. Bermuda’s low key nightlife differentiate it from its Caribbean neighbors and thus, make it more exciting for yachting. The entertainment on the island centers around gathering at a local pub for some tasty Rum or taking part in one of the islands’ many sailing regattas. The most famous is the biannual 635-mile Newport-Bermuda Yacht Races which just celebrated its 100th anniversary. Imagine sailing away to an isolated island with pink sandy beaches, turquoise crystal waters and rich unspoiled nature. Legislators of the island are very careful to keep this island gem as perfect as possible by imposing environmental measures such as having only one car per household and that tourists are allowed to drive only scooters inland. Most yachts stay for only a week going around the three major harbors: the historic St. George which was Bermuda’s first capital, the Royal Naval Dockyard, and the present capital city of Hamilton.

You don’t have a yacht yet but enjoy sailing? Don’t worry! There are great charter sailing services in this yachting island. I recommend SailBermuda.com which uses a 51ft sail boat “Shekynah” for charter sail and snorkeling. You can find the contact info and rates on their website and begin your great sailing adventure in the exciting Bermudian waters.

Things to See: Bermuda is known for its pink sand beaches and so, it is a definite must to spend a lot of time under the sun on the pristine soft pinkish sand. The nature of the island is absolutely stunning and you will find many secluded coves and and lagoons. In these breath-taking paradise hide-aways you can enjoy private time swimming in the warm azure waters. Bike rides or hiking is an excitement on the island as there are many lush gardens with lilies and hibiscus and unspoiled forests. You can actually walk the entire island on the remains of the railway trail which was in existence for only 17 years until 1948. Main attractions are the Bermuda zoo, the Botanical Gardens, the Aquarium and the Maritime Museum in the Royal Naval Dockyard. For all scuba divers, Bermuda is a true paradise as it has many ship wrecks and coral reefs with unlimited visibility in the crystal clear waters. Bermuda consists of 150 small islands which are formed from the exposed peaks of the underwater volcanic mountain. You can discover all of their beauty and be amazed at how small some of them are.

How far: The sailing time to Bermuda from New York is approximately five and a half days on a 40ft yacht as the distance between the two is 1284 km. And from North Carolina to Bermuda it can be as short as 36 hours on a 140ft yacht as it is 1030 km away.

Next Page »